Tales-of-the-Westmarch.pdf

(1753 KB) Pobierz
Tales
of the
Westmarch
Author/Designer: Randell Doty
Contents
1.0
2.0
INTRODUCTION
1.1
HOW THIS MODULE MADE IT TO
THE WEB
1.2
A FEW MORE COMMENTS
ABOUT CONTENTS
1.3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WESTMARCH
2.1
OVERVIEW
2.2
A BRIEF TIMELINE
2.3
THE LAND
2.31
Geography
2.32
Climate
2.33
Flora
2.34
Fauna
2.4
POLITICS AND POWER
2.41
The Calenardhons
2.42
The Daen Lintis
2.43
The Dúnedain
2.5
THE GOVERNMENT
2.6
THE FORCES OF EVIL
2.61
The Earthwell
2.62
The Undead
2.7
NPC’S FOR ALL ADVENTURES
2.71
Evad
2.72
Elarin & Amarla
2.73
Lord Targen
2.74
Lord Negolos
2.8
WESTMARCH AT OTHER TIMES
2.81
Westmarch 1640-2510
2.82
Westmarch 2510-2759
2.83
Westmarch 2759-3019
2.84
Westmarch After 3019
THE HOMECOMING
3.1
THE TALE
3.2
THE NPCS
3.3
THE LAYOUTS
3.31
Derwath
3.32
Tilmendir
3.4
THE TASK
3.41
Starting The Players
3.42
Aids
3.43
Obstacles
3.44
Rewards
3.5
THE ENCOUNTERS
4.0
RESTORING THE BALANCE
4.1
THE TALE
4.2
THE NPCS
4.3
THE SETTING
4.31
The Asirac Tombs
4.32
The Rendar Tombs
4.4
THE TASK
4.41
Starting The Players
4.42
Aids
4.43
Obstacles
4.44
Rewards
4.5
THE ENCOUNTERS
‘TIL DEATHS DO US PART
5.1
THE TALE
5.2
THE NPCS
5.3
THE SETTING
5.31
Beldwin
5.32
Amon Roch
5.33
Lady Sirris’ Prison Cabin
5.34
The Mar Hogo Clan Hold
5.4
THE TASK
5.41
Starting The Players
5.42
Aids
5.43
Obstacles
5.44
Rewards
5.5
THE ENCOUNTERS
OTHER PLACES OF NOTE IN
WESTMARCH
6.1 THE ORACLE
6.2 THE EARTHWELL
ALTERNATIVE ADVENTURES
7.1
QUEST FOR THE ANSWER
7.2
HUNT THE WULF
7.3
MISSING
TABLES
8.1
NPC TABLE
8.2
BEAST TABLE
8.3
ENCOUNTER TABLE
8.4
HERB TABLE
8.5
MILITARY TABLE
8.6
WEATHER TABLE
8.7
PRICE TABLE
5.0
6.0
7.0
3.0
8.0
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 HOW THIS MODULE
MADE IT TO THE WEB
This module was written for Iron
Crown Enterprises in 1989-1990 and was
submitted for publication as you see it now.
This was my third module behind
Dunland and
the Southern Misty Mountains
and
Ents of
Fangorn.
Right about that time, however, ICE
underwent some philosophy changes about
what products to publish.
They began
reformatting some of there older works into
the new city and fortress books. During this
time Westmarch warmed the bench as it were
waiting for its chance. After several calls
inquiring about the date when it would be
published I basically decided that I should not
get my hopes up.
When I finally got a copy of the
Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer
I got a
glimmer of hope back because several of my
creations for Westmarch were included as part
of that tome. The towns of Beldwin and
Derwath along with their ruling lords and one
of the castles were all there. I hoped that this
might be an indicator that Westmarch might
be published after all.
Soon though these hopes were
squelched again when I realized that ICE was
going to get into the collectable card business.
CCG’s if popular are very
profitable.
Considering
ICE’s
previous
cash-flow
problems, I don’t blame them at all for
rerouting resources from the Middle-earth
Role Playing line to the expansion of such a
profit stream. It did, however mean that
Westmarch was unlikely to ever be publish.
Several years had passed when in the summer
of 1998 I got an e-mail from Chris Seeman
who publishes
Other Hands.
Chris asked me
if I would be willing to have my email
address posted so that people could ask me
questions about the modules I wrote. I told
him that it would be fine. As an afterthought,
I asked Chris if he would be interested in
providing space for a previously unpublished
MERP module (Westmarch) to be put up on
the web for MERP players since it was
unlikely to ever be published by ICE He said
that he would and agreed to speak to ICE
about getting permission to publish it on the
web. Iron Crown’s Jessica Ney-Grimm gave
the go ahead and I formatted it into this huge
PDF file. Now you have a module that was
accepted by ICE but not published. That’s
about as close to cannon as it gets. Thanks for
indulging me in this little bit of history. Have
fun.
1.2 A FEW MORE
COMMENTS ABOUT
CONTENTS
Most of ICE’s MERP modules include
several sections on terminology, definitions,
conversion statistics, etc. I’m assuming that if
you are knowledgeable about the MERP
system to take the trouble to download this
that you probably don’t need this stuff. If you
find abbreviation that you don’t recognize or
a term with which you are unfamiliar take the
time to look in your other MERP materials. If
you still can’t find it then e-mail me and I will
try to figure out what I meant.
1.3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank ICE for allowing
this module to be published via the web. I
would like to thank Chris Seeman for making
it happen. I would like to thank my wife
Donna for her continued support of my
eccentricities.
Several graphics used for paragraph
separation are copyrighted to ICE and are
used with permission. The rest of the interior
art can be blamed on me. The Celtic art is
based on the work of George Bain.
Randell Doty
2.0 WESTMARCH
2.1 OVERVIEW
Westmarch. The name brings up
images of lush plains and green fields. A
peaceful farming area where everything is
pleasant. Nothing is closer to the truth. It is
all these things, but it is also an area not used
to the turmoil seen in the lands to the south,
east, and north.
Many people from the
populated South think of this area almost as
an untouched Garden of Eden, as it were.
Most adventurers also seem to think this.
Therefore travel in the area for purpose of
adventure
is
unlikely,
and
usually
unprofitable for the adventurer, because, as
mentioned already Westmarch is not a center
for excitement…usually.
Westmarch in 1640 is, like most of
Middle-earth, recovering from the Great
Plague of 1636, which hit Westmarch as it did
everywhere, but not as hard as eastern
Calenardhon, or Dunland to the north. This is
mainly due to the limited travel into and out
of the area. The Great East-West Road runs
through Dunland to the north and crosses the
Angren at the great fords into Calenardhon,
therefore bypassing Westmarch to the south.
Because of this isolation from traveling
carriers of the Plague through Westmarch,
fewer people died there than in other areas.
This, however, did not make the deaths any
less painful to the inhabitants, on the contrary,
since the area is a rural farming and ranching
area with few cities, some of the deaths have
had a greater impact because some of the key
craftsmen that died during the Plague have
not yet been replaced. The coming of the
Plague brought about an unusual period of
turmoil in Westmarch which has slowly
corrected itself for the most part, but unlike
typical life in peaceful Westmarch there have
been some strange occurrences lately.
1
2.2 A BRIEF TIMELINE
The Second Age
Noldorin kingdom established in
Lindon after the fall of Beleriand with
Gil-galad as king.
Númenor founded.
Númenóreans explore
much of
Middle-earth and make contact with
the Daen Coentis of the White
Mountains.
The Noldor found Eregion and build
Ost-in-Edhil.
32
600-1200
750
1200-1500 Númenóreans
begin
building
fortresses and havens all along the
western coast of Middle-earth. During
this time they begin to use the great
southern forests extensively for ship
building.
1500
Elves of Eregion begin to make the
rings of Power under Sauron’s
guidance (as Annatar).
Sauron makes the Ruling Ring.
1600
1693-1700 Sauron makes war on the Elves of
Eregion. Most all of Eriador is laid
waste to by his armies. Sauron is
defeated by the Númenóreans and the
Elves, and retreats to Mordor.
1800-2251 Númenóreans increase their holdings
in Middle-earth. It is during this time
that the circle of Angrenost (Isengard)
is smoothed, but the fortress will be
built later. Sauron begins to send
emissaries to the Daen Coentis to
subvert their religion and turn them
against the Númenóreans, whose
numbers will swell above those of the
Daen Coentis in the White Mountains
as this time period ends. Several
Dúnadan families with pioneering
spirits settle in what will become
Westmarch looking to Angrenost
for protection. Some of the Daen
Coentis from the southern vales of
the White Mountains also migrate
to Westmarch to escape the
Dúnadan
intrusion,
thereby
swelling the ranks of the clans
already
there
and
causing
numerous clan wars.
3315
Drúedain split with the Daen
Coentis due to their evil ways.
They take up residence in the deep
wooded areas of the White
Mountains and the Enedhwaith.
The downfall of Númenor and the
Bending of the Seas.
Foundation of the Realms in Exile.
The Daen Coentis swear an oath of
loyalty to Isildur .
2
250-850
250
Isildur is ambushed and dies at the
Gladden fields while enroute to Arnor.
Arnor declines gradually.
Calenardhon begins to be settled
along the Great East-West Road. More
Dúnadan
settlers
move
into
Westmarch, and take over the
government there.
Calenardhon is a prosperous province.
Westmarch is considered the furthest
western province of Gondor
Sauron stirs again, and the Istari are
sent to Middle-earth as a balance to his
presence.
Gondor at the height of its power
expands and builds many border
fortresses, mainly in the north, but a
few are constructed in Westmarch.
500-1400
1000
3319
3320
1050
3325-3341 Many of the Daen Coentis migrate
north either to Dunland or
Rhudaur. The first groups do so
because of disagreements in the
new dark religions.
The later
groups migrate to escape the fear
caused by the oath breaking.
3430
3434
Last Alliance of Elves and Men is
formed to confront Sauron.
The Daen Coentis are called by the
Alliance; they refuse, and thereby
bring the curse of the oath-breakers
upon them.
The Barad-dûr is taken and Sauron
is overthrown. Isildur cuts the
Ruling Ring from Sauron’s finger
and keeps it as his own.
1300-1350 Witch-king founds Angmar.
1432-1447 The Kin-strife tears apart Gondor.
1600
1636-37
Hobbits settle in the Shire.
The Great Plague, a collection of
devastating diseases and pestilences,
sweeps through Rhovanion, Gondor,
and Eriador. Calenardhon begins a
slow
decline
in
population.
Westmarch loses touch with Gondor in
trade and in government for awhile.
Trade from the north declines. The
Dúnedain slowly begin to lose power
in Westmarch.
The capital of Gondor is moved from
Osgiliath to Minas Anor.
The Witch-king’s
Arthedain.
armies
overrun
3441
1640
1974-75
1980
Third Age
1
The
tower
constructed.
of
Orthanc
is
2050
The Witch-king reenters Mordor and
gathers the Nine. The Balrog of Moria
comes forth.
Orthanc is locked with only a small
hereditary force left to guard the

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin